Next-gen Opel Adam maybe rebadged as Buick in 2018

When Opel builds the next-generation Adam sometime in 2018, Buick could have that minicar rebadge as part of its lineup in the United States. Duncan Aldred, U.S. vice president of Buick and GMC, told Automotive News in an interview that while he wants to have a rebadged Opel Adam added into Buick’s lineup, the current generation of the sporty three-door minicar was not engineered or made for the US.

He said that that he looked at the possibility of fast-tracking the Adam into the Buick range sooner than later, as the vehicle “would make a great Buick." He said that it would be "cost prohibitive" to revamp the current-generation Adam for the US, but hinted that any future redesign of the vehicle may allow it to be tailored for the country.

Opel launched the Adam in Europe in early 2013 and the next generation is expected to be rolled out in 2018 under a normal product cycle.

Bearing a base tag of around $15,500, the Adam is probably the “most premium model” in the Opel and Vauxhall range in terms of content and materials, Aldred remarked.

In 2013, former General Motors chief executive Dan Akerson lamented that the Adam and the Opel Cascada convertible had not been engineered with the US market in mind. GM is currently revamping the Cascada for the US, with a rollout expected early next year.